Reclosed package



Nov. 25, 1969 o. F. SHINE RECLOSED PACKAGE Filed April 9, 1968 Invento genns F Shine 1:11: PEA

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United States Patent 3,480,172 RECLOSED PACKAGE Dennis F. Shine, Evanston, Ill., assignor to Baxter Laboratories, Inc., Morton Grove, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 9, 1968, Ser. No. 719,871 Int. Cl. B65d 41/60; A613 1/00 U.S. Cl. 215-46 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a reclosed package. Particularly the invention relates to a package of the type which is reclosed with a manually applied cap, essentially for maintaining package contents in a sterile condition.

In laboratories, particularly in hospitals, there is a need to maintain sterility of liquid contents of a once opened bottle while in storage. For example, a first reagent, such as a sterile prescribed additive, may require mixing with a second reagent, such as a sterile parenteral intravenous solution, and subsequent storage in a sterile condition. In such event a seal of a package of sterile first reagent may be broken for introducing a sterile second reagent. After addition of the latter, the contents require rescaling to maintain sterility of the mixed product. Practically, a sterile second reagent is added to a sterile first reagent in an opened package and a reseal closure is applied thereafter to the container of the mixture, all in a sterile environment or field, generally under a hood.

Heretofore known rescaled packages of the type of the invention are not principally concerned with sterile contents. In consequence, their teachings are not for a package for maintaining sterile contents, particularly because of the ease with which such package can become unsealed or its cap accidentally removed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved rescaled package.

It is another object of the invention to maintain the sterility of the contents of a package rescaled with a manually applied cap.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved reseal cap for a container in which the sterility of contents must be maintained.

It is an additional object of the invention to prevent accidental removal of the cap from a container comprising said package.

The foregoing objects may be achieved by providing a rescaled package which comprises a container having an upper end portion with an upper opening and a lug carried from the upper end portion. A stopper of elastomer fabrication is mounted in the opening and has an upper surface with a passage for access to from the exterior to the interior of the container. A reseal cap is mounted about the stopper and has an inner surface disposed across and spaced from the upper surface of the stopper. A sealing ring integral with the cap depends from its inner surface and sealingly engages the upper surface of the stopper about the passage. A flexible flange with a lower end portion defining a cap opening depends from said cap and has inwardly extending integral catch engaged beneath the lug for tensioning the ring downwardly into sealed engagement with the upper surface of the stopper. A camming surface is arranged from the lower end portion and below said catch for bending the flange Ice outwardly as the flexible portion moves over said lug for mounting the cap.

Means for further effecting the foregoing and other ob- JECtS, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon consideration of the following descr ption and appended claims, when considered in conunction with the accompanying drawings wherein the same reference character or numeral refers to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

On the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an upper fragment of a rescaled package comprising the present invention, parts shown in section for the purpose of illustration.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 however, showing the parts of the package in exploded relationship.

FIG. 3 is a view of a cap comprising said package according to the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a rescaled package generally designated 10 comprises a container 11 and a reseal cap 12. The container may be of the type used as a reagent bottle for a sterile liquid (not shown) and has an upper end portion fashioned as a neck 13 which is shown as circular in cross section. The neck defines an upper opening 14 and carries an integral outwardly protruding upper annular lug or bead 15 and a therefrom vertically spaced outwardly protruding annular integral rib 16.

A stopper 17, fabricated from an elastomer, has a lower body portion 18 which is mounted in opening 14 in engagement with the inner surface of neck 13 for closing container 11. Stopper 17 has an upper integral annular flange 19 which extends horizontally outwardly from the upper portion of body 17 and engages against rib 15 for limiting inward movement of the stopper. An upper inwardly bent portion of a retaining ring 20- grippingly engages flange 19 and a lower portion of said ring engages below rib 15 for holding the stopper in opening 14.

Prior to the condition depicted in the drawings, a thin flexible disc (not shown) had been retained by ring 20 across the upper surface 21 of stopper 17. The disc sealed container 11 by blocking the upper openings of a pair of vertical passages 22 and 23 connecting the interior chamber of said container with the exterior. Thereby, the aseptic condition of a liquid first reagent (not shown) and then in the container could be maintained. To the end that a second liquid reagent (not shown) may be added to the first and a new sterile package fashioned, the container may be placed in a sterile field and the disc removed (accounting for its absence from the drawings). Then, with the container in said field a vent 24 is mounted in passage 22 and the second reagent added through passage 23.

A new closure which seals the container to form resealed package 10' for maintaining a sterile condition therein thereafter comprises a reseal cap 12 mounted about stopper 17. The cap may be of tearable plastic fabrication and has a top 25 with an inner surface 26. When arranged in assembled relationship with the container, inner surface 26 is disposed across and spaced from upper surface 21 of said stopper. The cap has an integral annular flexible snap back flange 27 which depends from top 25; and a lower end portion of said flange defines a lower cap opening 28. A catch 30 comprises an inwardly extending locking annulus which is fashioned integrally with flange 27 above opening 28. In rescaled package 10 the catch is engaged beneath lug or rib 15. A ring 31 is fashioned integrally with the cap and depends from inner surface 26 thereof about passages 22 and 23 in concentric association with the flange 27.

The lower end portion of flange 27 has an interior integral camming surface 36 which is disposed below catch 30 and is adapted to bend said flange outwardly as the cap is applied and moves over lug 15 for rescaling the container. To effect the foregoing, sealing flange 27 is proportioned for snap engagement of catch 30 beneath the ring 15 and tightly holds or tensions the tapered end 35 of ring 31 in sealed engagement with upper surface 21. Moreover, flange 27 of the cap is proportioned in a manner such that its lower rim 32 terminates at rib 16 when the cap is mounted in sealing association with container 11. Rim 32 is fashioned and proportioned for substantially flush engagement with the rib 16 in consequence of which accidental removal of the cap as result of engagement with the rim will be prevented.

A tear tab 33 extends outwardly from flange 27 and facilitates removal of the reseal cap in a usual manner.

By reason of the foregoing construction, a reagent bottle may be quickly and easily rescaled and an asceptic condition can be maintained in a rescaled container.

As many substitutions or changes could be made in the above described construction, and as many apparently widely different embodiments of the invention could be constructed without departing from the scope and spirit thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as being illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A reclosed package comprising: a container with sterile contents and having an upper end portion defining a neck with an upper opening, a lug projecting outwardly from said upper end portion; a stopper of elastomer fabrication mounted in said opening and having an upper surface with a passage for access from the exterior to the interior of said container; a reseal cap mounted about said stopper and having an inner surface disposed across and spaced from said upper surface; a sealing ring integral with said cap and depending from said inner surface in sealing engagement with said upper surface about said passage and spaced from said neck; a flexible flange with a lower end portion defining a cap opening depend- 4 ing from said cap and having an integral inwardly extending catch engaged beneath said lug for tensioning said ring downwardly into sealed association with said upper surface, and a camming surface arranged from said lower end portion and below said catch for bending said flange outwardly as said flexible portion moves over said lug for mounting said cap.

2. An article according to claim 1 characterized by an outwardly extending rib carried below said lug from said upper end portion, said cap having a lower rim disposed below said catch and proportioned and arranged for substantially flush engagement with said rib to prevent cap removal by engagement with said rim, said cap being of tearable fabrication, and a tear tab extending outwardly from said cap for removal thereof from said container.

3. A cap for rescaling a bottle having an upper opening and therein disposed a vertically passaged elastomeric stopper with an upper surface, said cap comprising: a top with an inner surface; a sealing ring depending from said inner surface and having a lower edge fashioned for sealing engagement with the upper surface of a stopper and about the passages therein; an outwardly yieldable anular flange depending from said cap; a catch projecting inwardly from said flange for snap engagement over retaining means on a container and arranged for tensioning said ring into sealing engagement with the top surface of a stopper and a pull tab projecting outwardly from said cap for enabling its removal from a container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,142,404 7/1964 Krieps et al. 21546 3,379,327 4/1968 Link et al. 215

GEORGE T. HALL, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 215-41, 83 

